MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) — A University of Memphis study found that most used vehicles examined on a Memphis car lot contained recoverable personal data — including contact lists, text conversations, navigation history, and account logins — left behind by previous owners.
What researchers found
Dr. Christos Papadopoulos, a computer science professor at the University of Memphis, led the study.
“The question we asked is, ‘How much of that information is captured in the car? How much of it stays in the car?’” Papadopoulos said.
His team first searched a Memphis used car lot. Of 38 cars they accessed, only three didn’t have personal information visible from the dashboard.
They also purchased used vehicle infotainment systems online — some for as little as $20 on eBay — from BMWs, Jeeps, Hondas, and Hyundais. Personal data was recovered from those systems as well…